Car-coupler mechanism



March 24, 1931.

E. GEORGE. JR

CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Filed Feb. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 24, 1931. E. GEORGE. JR

CAR COUPLER MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1929 I particularlyto those in which the lock for Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENOCH GEORGE, JR., OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MGCONWAY & TOBLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA CAR-COUPLER MECHANISM Application filed February 11, 1929. Serial No. 339,116.

My invention relates to car couplers and restraining outward rotation of the knuckle is designed for bottom operation. The 1nl vention is especially suitable for cooperation with the locking mechanism of the Standard D type coupler. The principal object of the invention is to provide, as a rigid part of the coupler head, a coupler supporting means upon which is mounted release mechanism for actuating bottom operated locking mech anism of a car coupler. A further object of the invention is to construct the coupler support so that, without impairing its strength,

it may form a mounting for a coupler release rigging. A still further object of the invention is to form the coupler support in such manner that a particular type. of coupler re-.

lease rigging may be readily mounted thereon.

Where freight cars and locomotive tenders are provided with car couplers which are adapted to yield longitudinally of the car in draft and bufling, it is the present general practice to locate the coupler carrier a suflicient distance to the rear of the coupler head to permit the coupler to perform its full buffing travel, with a safe allowance to pro-.

vide the added clearance which wear of parts makes necessary. It is also common practiceto support a short shank pivoted pilot coupler by a pocket flange casting, the point of support of the coupler being to the rear of the coupler head. As these points of support are considerably to the rear of the center of gravity of the coupler its head tends to droop. This drooping increases as wear of the parts proceeds. Not only is the flexibility for vertical and horizontal angling between mating couplers thereby reduced, but the proper operating relationship between the coupler lock and the uncoupling mechanism is detrimentally affected in those cases in which the lock operating devices are mounted upon the car, tender or locomotive, thus decreasing the efficiency of operation of the lock actuating devices. Both of these undesirable results are avoided by the present invention.

The principal feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in providing the rail way vehicle with a coupler carrier which ex vention, showing its relation to the coupler carrier and adjacent parts of the car structure, the carrier and car structure being in vertical central section and the coupler lock being in locked position. A

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Figure 1, the coupler release mechanism being omitted and portions of the coupler being shown in dot and dash lines.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of. the

construction shown in Figures 1 and 2-, portions of the car coupler being broken away.

Figure lis a detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section showing therelations assumed by the parts when the coupler release mechanism is being assembled withor disassembled frointhe coupler lock.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure l, but illustrating another step in the operation of assembly or disassembly of the mechanism.

Figure 6 is a detail rear elevational view of a portion of the combined coupler support and release rigging mounting.

Figure 7 is a detail view of the side elevation illustrating the application of the invention to a short shank pilot coupler;

The construction shown in the drawings is especially suitable for embodiment in a car coupler mechanism having ahead 1 and bottom operating lock-2 which are of the wellknown Standard D type. Rigidly connectsupport 3 whose lower end slidably bears upon a coupler carrier 4. The coupler carrier, which is rigidly connected to the railway vehicle, may be, and preferably is, pro- 5 vided with a removable wear plate 5 which directly engages the lower end of the columnar supporting member 3. As shown in the drawings the coupler carrier 4 may advantageously be formed as a transversely extending bar having upwardly projecting flanges 6 which are spaced longitudinally of the coupler so as to receive between them the downwardly projecting flanges 7 of thecoupler carrier wear plate 5. The flanges 6 and 7 respectively serve to stiffen the carrier and its wear plate portion. For rigidly connecting it to the railway vehicle, the transversely extending channel-shaped bar oftlie coupler carrier by which the wear plate: 5 is supported at its opposite ends with rearwardly and upwardly extending arms 8 spaced laterally a distance sufiicient to afford clearance for the downwardly projecting coupler support 3 in all positions the coupler may assume in normal service. The arms 8 are preferably of curved form and may advantageously diverge rearwardly. Each may be provided with an outwardly extending lug 9 permitting it to be riveted to the adjacent car sill 10 and they may be transversely braced toward their upper ends by an integral tie bar 11. To provide lateral stiffness, the arms 8 are preferably fashioned with inwardly projecting flanges 12 which extend from the 36 tie bar 11 to the inner vertically extending flange 6 of the coupler carrier. As shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings, the

, coupler carrier may be formed as an integral part of an end casting or striking plate 13 the shank 14 of the car coupler projects.

' The coupler support 3 which projects downwardly from the underside of the coupler head is preferably formedwith avertically extending columnar portion 15 of plate-like form to the lower end of which a horizontal pad or wear pad 16 of general rectangular form is integrally united. The

wardly beyond the coupler head and when the coupler is in normal position overhangs the wear plate 5 of the coupler carrier both fore and aft for. a distance sufficient to aflord ample bearing against the member 5 in all positions the coupler may occupy in service. By this means the coupler carrier may be reduced in size and compactness of the device having an opening therein through which,

end of the pad 16 preferably projects rear tion 17 joins the transversely extending portion 18 it is offset somewhat toward the knuckle side of the coupler head, as at 19 to afford clearance for a link 20 which is movably connected to the lower end of the coupler lock 2 for the purpose of causing an unlocking operation of the latter. Thewear pad '16 at the base of the coupler support 3 is preferably braced and reinforced by vertical transversely extending flanges 21 and 22 respectively. The wear pad 16 is also preferably braced by longitudinally extending flanges 23 and 24 respectively, the former --preferably being inalinement with and formdanger of shrinkage cracks in the casting is minimized.

The vertically extending plate portion 17 V of the coupler support is provided with a circular opening 25 which communicates at its upper side with a radial'slot 26. The circular opening 25 forms a bearing for the rotatable lock operating member 27, while the offset" slot 26 permits the passage of a key 28with which therot-atable member '27 is integrally provided. Extending downwardly from the underside of the coupler head in spaced. parallel relation to the longitudinally errtending plate portion 17 of the coupler support is a lug 29 having a circula-ropening 30 forming a bearing for the end of the shaft portion 31 of the rotatablyuncoupling mem; ber 27. Disposed between'the web 17 and the depending bearing lug 29 and integrally united to each is an arcuate lug 32 which serves to prevent the lifter arm 33 of the coupler release mechanism from becoming accidentally disassociated from the rotatable" lock operating member 27 when the several parts of the lock operating device are in working relation. To avoid the necessity of unduly lengthening the coupler support 3, while at the same time permitting the lifter arm 33 to be assembled with or disassembled from the rotatable lock operating member 27 without the necessity of impairing the strength of the wear pad 16, said pad is pref erably recessed or apertured between its ends, Y as at 34, to permit the lifter arm 33 to swing to a position where it will clear the arcuate lug 32 in the act of being assembled with or disconnected from the rotatable lockoperating member 27. When the lifter arm has been assembled with the rotatable member 27, as shown in Figure 5, the link 20 may be placed in position to form an operating connection between the arm 33 and the coupler lock 2, as shown in Figure 4;. ll

The modified form of construction shown in Figure 7 illustrates the application of the invention to a short shank pilot coupler which is pivotally connected to a pocket flange casting 35 by a pivot pin 36. In this instance, the coupler carrier 37 is shown as unprovided with a wear shoe for cooperatin with the pad at the bottom of the coupler support 8 andthe movable elements 20, 27 and 33 of the release mechanism by which the coupler lock is actuated have not been illustrated although, of course, it will be understood that such are employed. Other features of the construction shown in Figure 7, being identical wlth those heretofore described, are 1n-' cheated by corresponding reference numer-' 1. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier. mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head, the latter being provided with a rigidly attached coupler support extending downwardly therefrom and slidably supported by said carrier, and means extending under said head and movably mounted on said coupler support for actuating said lock.

2. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, a coupler support interposed between said head and carrier and slidably supported bythe latter, said coupler support being movable with said head, and means movably mounted on said coupler support for actuating said lock.

3. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extend ing under said head in spaced relation there to, said head being integrally connected to a coupler support slidably engaging the coupler carrier, a member rotatably mounted on said coupler support, a lifter arm adapted to be actuated bv said rotatably mounted mem her. and a link movably connected to said lifter and lock for actuating the latter.

4. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head, a bottom operating lock, and means extending under said head for operating the lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, said head having integrally attached thereto a -coupler support slidably engaging the carrier, said support being formed atits lower end with a wear pad for engaging the carrier and having a web portion extending upwardly from said pad, said web being disposed substantially central of said pad and extending longitudinallyof the coupler, and said lock operating means overlapping said webtransversely of the coupler. I v

5. In a railway draft appliance,the combination with a car coupler having a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, a coupler support rigidly attached to said head and extending downwardly therefrom and slidably engaging the carrier, and a device extending under said head and movably mounted on said coupler support for actuating said lock, said coupler support being provided with bearing means permitting said lock actuating device't-o be rotatably mounted thereon and being formed at its lower end with a wear .padengaging the coupler carrier and being provided with bracing flanges. extending upwardly from said pad at an angle to each other.-

6 In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway'vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, said head having rigidly attached thereto a coupler support extending down-.

wardly therefrom and slidably supportedby said carrier, said coupler support being provided at its lower end with awear pad having a portion which projects rearwardlynbeyond said head. i V V 7. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a carcouplerhaving a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon arailway vehicle and extending under said headiin spaced relation thereto, a couplersupport integrally attached to saidhead and extendingdownwardly therefrom and slidably supported by said carrier, and means extending under said head for actuating said lock, said means involving a rotatable member, and said coupler support being provided with a bearing for said rotatable member. a

8. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head .and a bottonioperating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, a, coupler support rigidly attached to the head and extending downwardly therefrom and slidably engaging said carrier, and means extending under said head and movably mounted on the coupler support for actuating the said lock, said means comprising a rotatable shaft member, a lifter member actuated by said shaft member and a link member movably connecting said lifter member to the coupler lock, and said coupler support being provided with-:a wear pad for cooperating with the coupler carrier and having a longitudinally extending plate-like portion connecting said pad to the coupler head, said plate-like, portion being formed with an opening for receiving and forming a bearing for said rotatable member.

9. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head and a. bottom operating lock, a. coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, means extending under'said head for actuating said lock, said means including a rotatable shaft member, a lifter member actuated by said shaft member and alink member operatively connecting the lifter member to said look, a coupler support rigidly connected to the coupler head and extending downwardly therefrom, said support being provided at its lower end with a wear pad slidably supported by said carrier and having a longitudinally extending plate-like portion disposed above said pad, said plate=like por-, tion having an opening forming a bearing for said rotatable member, said pad beingrecessed to afford clearance for a portion of said lifter member, and a lug spaced laterally from said plate-like portion and formed with an opening providing a bearing for said rotatable shaft member.

10. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a car coupler having a head and a bottom operating lock, of a coupler carrier mounted upon a railway vehicle and extending under said head in spaced relation thereto, a coupler support integrally united to said head and extending downwardly therefrom and slidably supported by said carrier, and means extending under said head and movably mounted on said coupler support for actuating the lock, said means including a shaft member rotatably mounted on the coupler support, a lifter arm actuated by the shaft member, and a link member for connecting the lifter member to said lock, said coupler support having at its lower end a horizontally extending wear pad for engaging the coupler carrier and having a vertically extending plate-like portion formed with an opening providing a bearing for said rotatable member, said plate-like portion being offset to provide member. v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ENOCH GEORGE, JR.

clearance for said lifter 

